I finally have to admit it…

After all, I’ve been married for…well, ever. I’ve had four children. An exciting career. I’ve travelled all over the world. Written books. Published hundreds of blog posts. And now, most exciting of all, I have a spectacular new grandchild. You know what that means?

Right.

The letter is just not coming.

Looking for solace in the face of the devastating realization that I’m not going to witchcraft school in the foreseeable future, there was only one search term I could put into the Friday Five challenge.

Witch.

Apparently, there are 48,485 results on Amazon. That’s 48,484 people who don’t have to go through life as Muggles and one misfile (the giant boxed set of “Things That Go Hump In The Night”).

As I glanced over the first batch of those 48,485 witch covers, one jumped out at me immediately. Little Witch, written by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, and illustrated by Helen Stone was one of the first “chapter books” I ever read. With its wonderful illustrations and own special storytelling magic, it took me back in time to one of the very first books I loved enough to read over and over again. It was Harry Potter in reverse, a story of a little witch girl who lived with magic and potions and spells, but only wanted to be a normal child, go to school, and have friends. Looking back, I realize that in many ways the messages are the same—children looking for a place where their differences are accepted.

Rosie Amber’s Friday Five challenge is to take ONLY FIVE MINUTES to browse an unfamiliar category and select a book based solely on the cover art.

---

Book blurb:

Minikin Snickasnee – called Minx for short – was nine years old and wished with all her heart that she was not a witch’s child. …

It may sound like fun to be the daughter of Madam Snickasnee and be forbidden to go to school, to wash behind your ears, or go to bed at night. You might even like to see certain people you know turned into potted plants and have your own flying broomstick. …

But Minx didn’t like riding around in the dark or cooking up horrid pots of Black Spell Brew. Even a witch’s child rebels, and one day, Minx sneaked off to school. …

The principal was certainly surprised to see his newest pupil arriving on a broomstick, and life got much more exciting for a lot of people – the school-children, Mr. Beanpot the detective and Mrs. Sputter of the Parent-Teachers’ Association. …

Anyone who ever longed to cast a spell or experiment with a magic kettle will delight in the wonderful story of Minx and how her dearest wish came true. Helen Stone’s gay line drawings make the little witch and her friends come alive with humor and Hallowe’en spirit.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

• Book Title: Little Witch
• Author: by Anna Elizabeth Bennett (Author), Helen Stone (Illustrator)
• Genre: Children’s fantasy
• Publisher: Sky Pony Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2013) **60th Anniversary edition. First printing 1953
• Price: $11.04/£7.19 (used: $5.00/£3.43)
• Reviews: 84 for total of 4.8 out of 5 stars (with 83% at 5 stars)
• Pages: 128

My Analysis: In my memory, this was an incredibly exciting story of a little witch girl who brews exciting potions, befriends local children, and hopes for a normal life. When my children were small, I looked for this book but it has been out of print for over thirty years. So this 60th Anniversary reprint is great news. Or…it would be if I had children the right age to share in the magic that I remember. 

BUY or PASS:   PASS –I loved the story when I was a child, and if I had someone who was at the right age I’d definitely buy for gifting. Especially since it looks like I won’t be getting that other letter…

 

---

Here is Rosie’s Friday Five Challenge. It only took five minutes and a couple more to write up, and was a ton of fun. I hope you’ll consider joining in. All Rosie asks is that you link back to her original post here so we can all join in viewing your challenge results.

AUTHORS – You often only have seconds to get a reader to buy your book, is your book cover and book bio up to it?

My Friday Five Challenge is this….. IN ONLY FIVE MINUTES….

1. Go to any online book supplier,
2. Randomly choose a category,
3. Speed through the book covers, choose one which has instantly appealed to your eye,
4. Read the book Bio/ Description for this book, and any other details.
5. If there are reviews, check out a couple,
6. Make an instant decision, would you BUY or PASS?
7. I’ll be back next week with another Friday Five Challenge, do feel free to join in.